Migraines, GAC, and lines

[KPeveler]

I know someone with terrible migraines, and these are triggered by crowds, heat, etc. do you think she could get a GAC that would allow her a quiet or cool place to wait? her husband could wait in the regular line, but she cant spend too much time in crowded lines without getting a disabling-migraine. i know there are quiet waiting places sometimes, and i wondered if perhaps this was another thing they could be used for...

 

[Belle1962]

I found some of these tips helped me: (I haven't had one in several years but...)

1) DARK sunglasses with the largest frame/lens you can find. DARK really DARK. Forget about fashon, framing your face, etc. The goal is DARK! Carry them into shows and rides and be prepared to put them on right before stepping outside into the sun.
2) ICE packs for instant cool down--I buy disposable ones in the first aid section (squeeze to activate, toss when done)
3) MEDS. Be sure she sees her doctor prior to the trip and has a full supply of meds.
4) First Aid Stations in the park---if she has a sudden onset migrane, immediately head for the first aid station (with her MEDS). They can provide a cool and sometimes dark place to wait it out--if she can't make it back to the hotel.

 

[brergnat]

I don't know if migraine would qualify you for a GAC. I've had migraines my whole life (my mother says I started getting bad headaches around age 3...) I've been to WDW countless times and I have gotten a few whoppers while there, but I have never thought that I should qualify for special assistance since migraine is something that, to some extent, can be controlled.

I would honestly suggest that your friend avoid WDW during the extremely hot/humid months. I have traveled to WDW in the winter a couple times and found it MUCH better on my migraines. I did not suffer like I have in the past during the summer.

If she has to go in the hot months, then here are some suggestions:

-avoid the long lines. Use FP or just skip over long lines that are in un-airconditioned areas. Stick to indoor attraction lines for the most part.

-avoid too much sun. Even with sunglasses on (even if they're super dark), just being out in the sun really takes a toll on a person, and it tends to trigger migraines in me, at least. Marathon commando park days should also be avoided.

-at the VERY FIRST hint of even a minor headache, she should take her migraine meds (even if she doesn't *think* it's a migraine) and find a first aid station, or return to her room to relax. She should have an eye mask that will put her in complete darkness, even during the day. I like the TempurPedic one.

-make sure she knows about the first aid stations and where they are located in each park

-she should remember to eat at regular intervals, to avoid low blood sugar (which triggers migraines in me too)

-know where the nearest ER is, in case she ends up with a SERIOUS migraine and needs demerol or something (this is my biggest fear...that this will happen to me on a WDW trip). Tell her to make sure she carries her medical insurance card with her AT ALL TIMES, in case she ends up needing to go to the ER or urgent care center directly from a park. She should also have her doctor's name/phone number handy.

 

[dclfun]

Unfortunately not every attraction has a cool or quiet waiting area. Even though she might be able to wait out of the sun for some/most, it would still be really hot if she goes in the summer and if heat is what triggers her migraines there virtually is no way to avoid it. She'd at least be outdoors in the heat walking between attractions. ---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

If you haven't yet, check out the disABILITIES FAQs thread. There is a section about GACs that might help you.
Even if you do get a GAC, as the others said, that doesn't mean that the accomidations that would help you are available at all attractions and you still have to contend with the crowds and heat outside of attractions.

My mom gets migranes and she used one product on our trip this April that surprised me - she used that HeadOn product for headaches. They have really annoying commercials "HeadOn. Apply directly to the head." She said it actually works for her to prevent migranes if she can use it as soon as she has the first signs of the headache.

 

[dj2]

My mom gets migranes and she used one product on our trip this April that surprised me - she used that HeadOn product for headaches. They have really annoying commercials "HeadOn. Apply directly to the head." She said it actually works for her to prevent migranes if she can use it as soon as she has the first signs of the headache.

has she been using this for awhile with good success? i've never heard of it, but am going to tell my dad, who gets migraine headaches like clockwork in the early morning (middle of the night) every 10-11 days. can you share any more info about it?

 

[SueM in MN]

has she been using this for awhile with good success? i've never heard of it, but am going to tell my dad, who gets migraine headaches like clockwork in the early morning (middle of the night) every 10-11 days. can you share any more info about it?

Google HeadOn and you will find lots of things. I don't know if there is any proof that it works or how it works. I just know that I remember my mom getting migranes for as long as I remember. As a child, I remember her getting to the point of having to lie down in a quiet, dark room and even that not always working.

I don't know when she started using it, but she was with us at WDW in early April. After we finished Mickey's Philharmagic she said she could feel a headache coming on and used it. She said it changed the migrane that was starting into just a small headache that she could manage.
I haven't looked at the bottle to see if it says anything about situations or medications you would not want to take it with, but it is an over the counter medication.

 

[dj2]

thanks. i did google it right after i posted, and one of the first hits said something about a potentially dangerous chemical used in it. even if it's not true, my dad would probably google it himself before using it and that would be enough to make him not use it. too bad, because i bet it would help him and he needs the help!

 

[Michigan]

thanks. i did google it right after i posted, and one of the first hits said something about a potentially dangerous chemical used in it. even if it's not true, my dad would probably google it himself before using it and that would be enough to make him not use it. too bad, because i bet it would help him and he needs the help!

Has your dad tried taking a ginger tablet before he goes to bed? I took ginger on a cruise with me because I get sick on the first night and someone told me that ginger would help. Well not only did it help but I went a year without a migrane. When I did get another migrane I took the ginger again and again another year before the next migrane.

 

[dj2]

Has your dad tried taking a ginger tablet before he goes to bed? I took ginger on a cruise with me because I get sick on the first night and someone told me that ginger would help. Well not only did it help but I went a year without a migrane. When I did get another migrane I took the ginger again and again another year before the next migrane.

thanks for the tip! i'm going to tell him to try it. ginger is supposed to be good for you for a lot of reasons --never knew about the headache connection! thanks again.
dj

 

[lovethattink]

I get migraine headaches. I take keppra daily for migraine prevention. Any time I get dehydrated I get a migraine. Plenty of fluid is a must for me. I have had 2 really bad hemiplegic migraines at Disney, and several nasty classic migraines. The classic migraines were caused by strobe lights on rides. Each time I had the hemiplegic it was caused from lack of fluids.

So I carry Zomig with me to abort a classic migraine (they are contraindicated for hemiplegic migraines), plenty of water to drink, avoid alcohol, and close my eyes during strobe lights.

 

[Hedy]

Has your dad tried taking a ginger tablet before he goes to bed? I took ginger on a cruise with me because I get sick on the first night and someone told me that ginger would help. Well not only did it help but I went a year without a migrane. When I did get another migrane I took the ginger again and again another year before the next migrane.

Do you happen to know where you can get ginger tablets.
FWIW, I use a migra-stick, which is similar to head on but contains peppermint oils. It helps diastract my brain amd reduce my nausea.

 

[Michigan]

I get them at CVS

 

[shades]

I've tried Head-On for my migraines it doesn't work for me. An ice-pack helps much more, along with my regular meds. Head-on does work fairly well for minor curling iron/cooking burns - though;o)

Since there are so many triggers for migraines, carrying plenty of meds is the best plan. Stay hydrated, and fed incase it a med has to be taken and some do not do so well on an empty stomach. There are lots of perfumes/colognes that trigger my migraines and it is impossible to avoid those at WDW. My best defense is ensuring I have plenty of meds and disposable icepacks. The first aid stations will give you a free icepack and a place to lay down if you need some quiet.

Otherwise, I can't think of anyway a GAC would really help a person that is migraine prone. An adult migraine sufferer would know best how to deal with a day in a hot crowded park, I would venture to guess. Lot & Lots & lots of meds - and a designated driver;o) Good luck!!

 

[Keokagal]

An adult migraine sufferer would know best how to deal with a day in a hot crowded park, I would venture to guess. Lot & Lots & lots of meds - and a designated driver;o) Good luck!![/QUOTE]


Yup, lots of meds....save up the Vicodin. Vicodin, martini, Imitrex...........no problems . I do get migraines at WDW. It is physically stressful, hot, crowded, overstimulating, dehydrating, exciting, all triggers. I do take all the above, together! But only at WDW. I will have a good time even w a migraine! I have a designated driver of course!
Oh, I use FP. No long lines EVER.

 

[shades]

Yup, lots of meds....save up the Vicodin. Vicodin, martini, Imitrex...........no problems . I do get migraines at WDW. It is physically stressful, hot, crowded, overstimulating, dehydrating, exciting, all triggers. I do take all the above, together! But only at WDW. I will have a good time even w a migraine! I have a designated driver of course!
Oh, I use FP. No long lines EVER.

I guess I should clarify - I need a designated driver because of my meds. Alcohol triggers migraines for me, so I don't drink at all. I take Zomig, Phenergan & oxycodone for mine. They mix well with the valium I take for other issues. But, by the time I've had to take all of that stuff together, it is best to leave the park. I've surpassed my pain & stress limits and deperately need to lay down in a quiet, dark room with an ice pack.